title: Ethyl sulphate and ethyl glucuronide in vitreous humor as postmortem evidence marker for ethanol consumption prior to death.
abstract: To clarify the circumstances of death, the degree of inebriation is of importance in many cases, but for several reasons the determination of the ethanol concentration in post-mortem samples can be challenging and the synopsis of ethanol and the direct consumption markers ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulphate (EtS) has proved to be useful. The use of a rather stable matrix like vitreous humor offers further advantages. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of ethanol and the biomarkers in the robust matrix of vitreous humor and to compare them with the respective levels in peripheral venous blood and urine. Samples of urine, blood from the femoral vein and vitreous humor were taken from 26 deceased with suspected ethanol consumption prior to death and analyzed for ethanol, EtS and EtG. In the urine samples creatinine was also determined. The personal data, the circumstances of death, the post-mortem interval and the information about ethanol consumption prior to death were recorded. EtG and EtS analysis in urine was performed by LC-ESI-MS/MS, creatinine concentration was determined using the Jaffé reaction and ethanol was detected by HS-GC-FID and by an ADH-based method. In general, the highest concentrations of the analytes were found in urine and showed statistical significance. The mean concentrations of EtG were 62.8mg/L (EtG100 206.5mg/L) in urine, 4.3mg/L in blood and 2.1mg/L in vitreous humor. EtS was found in the following mean concentrations: 54.6mg/L in urine (EtS100 123.1mg/L), 1.8mg/L in blood and 0.9mg/L in vitreous humor. Ethanol was detected in more vitreous humor samples (mean concentration 2.0g/kg) than in blood and urine (mean concentration 1.6g/kg and 2.1g/kg respectively). There was no correlation between the ethanol and the marker concentrations and no statistical conclusions could be drawn between the markers and matrices.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Freiburg University Medical Centre, Albertstrasse 9, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. annette.thierauf@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thierauf
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kempf
authors.forename: Markus Grosse
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Perdekamp
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Auwärter
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gnann
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wohlfarth
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weinmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000032:analysis; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013463:Sulfuric Acid Esters / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D005965:Glucuronates; D013463:Sulfuric Acid Esters; C093924:ethyl glucuronide; D000431:Ethanol; C011612:diethyl sulfate